British Comedy Guide

Out of Control - Two scenes. Any feedback?

Someone asked for a couple of scenes from the sitcom I posted a treatment for. Here are a couple. Be honest! :D

Spiralling Out of Control

Scene One

(Outside an upmarket Sydney nightspot. Ella stumbles out followed by Keith. Ella is a pretty twenty year old woman in an expensive looking but tiny dress and impractical shoes. Keith is an attractive man of the same age in a smart suit - slightly dishevelled. )

Ella: Piss off!

Keith: Ella, come on...

Ella: No, you're a prick!

(Melanie is manhandled out by a bouncer. Melanie is also a pretty twenty year old girl woman. Her dress is also expensive and tiny - a bit more revealing perhaps than Ella's. Her shoes are even sillier.)

Melanie: Don't touch me!

Ella: You bastard!

Melanie: I'm fine, alright.

(The bouncer backs off and goes inside. A photographer enters on a mobile telephone.)

Photographer: Gotta go - its Ella and Keith.

Ella: I gave up my holiday for you! I could've gone to LA for the Summer...

Photographer: Mel Braxton's here too...

Ella: I could've hooked up with Chris Brown, maybe, or Zac Efron - I know people over
there...

Melanie: Taylor Lautner...

Ella: Who?

Melanie: "Twilight"

Photographer: Yeah, they're off their tits...

Ella: Which one?

Melanie: Wolf

Ella: Yeah, the wolf - I could've hooked up with the buff wolf guy from "Twilight", but I stay here
for you, Keith...

Keith: Come on, people are watching...

Ella: I don't give a shit, Keith.. everyone knows that you can't keep it your pants! Everyone knows
that you just want to get into Kirsty Shore's knickers!

Keith: Ella...

Ella: Well I can tell you, Keith, a lot of people have been down that track... how do you think a no-
talent bitch like her gets a two year deal with Sony?

Melanie: They should publish a Lonely Planet guide.

Keith: Like you can talk, Mel...

Melanie: What did you say to me?

Ella: Don't you turn this around to her!

Photographer: Alright, really gotta go now!

Ella: Don't you dare...

Keith: I think you need to go home, Ella...

(Keith tries to guide Ella to a car.)

Ella: Don't touch me!

Melanie: Arsehole!

(Melanie and Ella are both attacking Keith. The photographer emerges followed by others, the start snapping. The bouncer emerges with two others.)

Bouncer: Over there...

(The bouncers break up the fight and push Ella and Melanie into the car, helped by the chauffeur. There is a montage of this happening in a rather undignified fashion, in the style of paparazzi shots, as the opening credits roll.)

Scene Two

(Ella and Melanie are reclining in their bikinis on the balcony of an up-market Surfer's Paradise hotel. They are flicking through magazines.)

Melanie: I wanna be on "Gossip Girl".

Ella: What, acting?

Melanie: Yeah - can't be that hard.

Ella: Did you order the drinks?

Melanie: Yeah.

Ella: Aha - there's Kirsty Shore - nice crotch shot as she got out of the car at the Grammy's -
sucked in bitch!

Melanie: Oh, Ella, we've both done it a million times. I think this holiday was a good idea.

Ella: I know... I'm still angry...

Melanie: You need to get away from the press, get away from Keith...

(As Melanie says this, she takes her bikini top off.)

Melanie: come on Ella...

(Ella removes her bikini top as she speaks.).

Ella: Get away from my parents - shit their doing their nut. Those pictures of us the other night
make that shot of Kirsty look...

(The mobile telephone next to her rings., She picks it up.)

Ella: Crap. Its Mum.

(Two bellboys approach the door. Bellboy #1 is holding a tray with two cocktails, Bellboy#2 just has a tray.).

Bellboy #2: I said I'd bring this one.

Bellboy # 1: I didn't hear.

Bellboy #2: Well I'll take it from here.

Bellboy #1: I'll be fine...

Bellboy #2: One each!

(Bellboy #1 nods and Bellboy#2 takes one of the cocktails and puts it on his tray. Bellboy #1 knocks on the door.)

Melanie: The drinks!

(Melanie gets up, still topless and goes to the door.)

Ella: No, Mum, we're just chilling at the hotel.

(Melanie opens the door.)

Melanie: Hi boys, just through to the balcony...

(The Bellboys inch nervously past Melanie, trying not to seems like they are looking at her.)

Ella: Yes, Mum, yes - I'm keeping a low profile...

(The Bellboys are now on the balcony with Ella, struggling not to look too hard as they put the cocktails down.)

Ella: No, Mum, I promise I won't... I won't embarrass myself or the family, I promise...

(Bellboy#2 cannot stop looking at Ella, so Bellboy#1 pulls him away.)

Ella: Mel and I are just going to do some shopping later... I won't spend too much.

(The Bellboys go out the door.)

Melanie: Thanks, boys...

Bellboy#2: If there's anything else...

(Melanie giggles and closes the door.)

Bellboy#1: Idiot.

(Melanie hears this through the door and giggles)
:D :D

I read scene one were there any jokes in there?

Todd c'mon jokes, character conflict.

Right now you're writing a Kardashians script. Only less funny.

Well - I'm taking trying to take the Michael out of that "Kardashian" world.
I thought the "Lonely Planet Guide" was a joke - and the whole scene is a fight...

I'll get there... still working this one out.
Thanks for reading :)

You're imitating it.

You need to get some conflict and contradictions in there.

Maybe scene 2 is funnier... :D :D :D

Whose ever gonna read it?
Doesn't matter if the entree is entrecote kobe beef, if the appetiser is a bowl of piss.

Ah, yes - I remember your culinary/excretion metaphors! :D
Alright will make first scene funnier, funnier, funnier...

Toddb

Being serious. Write the characters.

1 What is their ambition?
2 What is their fatal flaw?
3 Are they higher or lower status than other characters?
4 Why are they trapped episode after episode with the other characters?

With out answers to these questions you've got nothing.

don't worry one twat on these threads answered the question/

Fatal flaw?

He has a black girlfriend.

Right - not sure if all of these questions are answered in this scene - but I hope the flaw of one particular character will add more tension and make it a bit funnier...

Spiralling Out of Control

Scene One

(Outside an upmarket Sydney nightspot. Ella stumbles out followed by Keith. Ella is a pretty twenty year old woman in an expensive looking but tiny dress and impractical shoes. Keith is an attractive man of the same age in a smart suit - slightly dishevelled. )

Ella: Piss off!

Keith: Ella, come on...

Ella: No, you're a prick!

(Melanie is manhandled out by a bouncer. Melanie is also a pretty twenty year old girl woman. Her dress is also expensive and tiny - a bit more revealing perhaps than Ella's. Her shoes are even sillier.)

Melanie: I'm looking just looking for my friend...

Ella: You bastard!

Melanie: don't touch me!

Keith: You don't really wanna do this...

Ella: You think you're so hot - I'll be hotter than you, Keith Coombe!

Melanie: (Going to bouncer.) Actually, no you can if you like...

(The bouncer tries to back away. A photographer enters on a mobile telephone.)

Photographer: Gotta go - its Ella and Keith.

Ella: I gave up my holiday for you! I could've gone to LA for the Summer...

Mel: I can show you how to touch me, gorgeous...

(The bouncer looks uncomfortable as Mel clamours around him.)

Photographer: Mel Braxton's here too...

Mel: I'll give you my number...

Ella: I could've hooked up with Chris Brown, maybe, or Zac Efron...

Mel: Now I'm not looking for anything serious... I normally only see singers or underwear models...

Ella: I know people over there... They're interested in me! Who else, Mel...

Melanie: I know you've got a hard job, honey...

Ella: Melanie! Who else?

Melanie: Sorry?

Ella: For me!

Melanie: Umm.. Taylor Lautner... (To the bouncer.) Sorry about this...

Ella: Who?

Melanie: "Twilight"

Photographer: Yeah, they're off their tits...

Ella: Which one?

Melanie: Wolf

Ella: Yeah, the wolf - I could've hooked up with the buff wolf guy
from "Twilight", but I stay here for you, Keith...

Keith: Come on, people are watching...

Ella: I don't give a shit, Keith.. everyone knows that you can't keep it your pants! Everyone knows
that you just want to get into Kirsty Shore's knickers!

Keith: Ella...

Ella: Well I can tell you, Keith, a lot of people have been down that track... how do you think a no-
talent bitch like her gets a two year deal with Sony?

Melanie: They should publish a Lonely Planet guide.

Keith: Like you can talk, Mel...

Melanie: What did you say to me?

Ella: Don't you turn this around to her!

Photographer: Alright, really gotta go now!

Ella: Don't you dare...

Keith: I think you need to go home, Ella...

(Keith tries to guide Ella to a car.)

Ella: Don't touch me!

Melanie: Arsehole!

(Melanie and Ella are both attacking Keith. The photographer emerges followed by others, the start snapping. The bouncer emerges with two others.)

Bouncer: Over there...

(The bouncers break up the fight and push Ella and Melanie into the car, helped by the chauffeur. There is a montage of this happening in a rather undignified fashion, in the style of paparazzi shots, as the opening credits roll.)

Scene Two

(Ella and Melanie are reclining in their bikinis on the balcony of an up-market Surfer's Paradise hotel. They are flicking through magazines.)

Melanie: I wanna be on "Gossip Girl".

Ella: What, acting?

Melanie: Yeah - can't be that hard.

Ella: Did you order the drinks?

Melanie: Yeah.

Ella: Aha - there's Kirsty Shore - nice crotch shot as she got out of the car at the Grammy's -
sucked in bitch!

Melanie: Oh, Ella, we've both done it a million times. I think this holiday was a good idea.

Ella: I know... I'm still angry...

Melanie: You need to get away from the press, get away from Keith...

(As Melanie says this, she takes her bikini top off.)

Melanie: come on Ella...

(Ella removes her bikini top as she speaks.).

Ella: Get away from my parents - shit their doing their nut. Those pictures of us the other night
make that shot of Kirsty look...

(The mobile telephone next to her rings., She picks it up.)

Ella: Crap. Its Mum.

(Two bellboys approach the door. Bellboy #1 is holding a tray with two cocktails, Bellboy#2 just has a tray.).

Bellboy #2: I said I'd bring this one.

Bellboy # 1: I didn't hear.

Bellboy #2: Well I'll take it from here.

Bellboy #1: I'll be fine...

Bellboy #2: One each!

(Bellboy #1 nods and Bellboy#2 takes one of the cocktails and puts it on his tray. Bellboy #1 knocks on the door.)

Melanie: The drinks!

(Melanie gets up, still topless and goes to the door.)

Ella: No, Mum, we're just chilling at the hotel.

(Melanie opens the door.)

Melanie: Hi boys, just through to the balcony...

(The Bellboys inch nervously past Melanie, trying not to seems like they are looking at her.)

Ella: Yes, Mum, yes - I'm keeping a low profile...

(The Bellboys are now on the balcony with Ella, struggling not to look too hard as they put the cocktails down.)

Ella: No, Mum, I promise I won't... I won't embarrass myself or the family, I promise...

(Bellboy#2 cannot stop looking at Ella, so Bellboy#1 pulls him away.)

Ella: Mel and I are just going to do some shopping later... I won't spend too much.

(The Bellboys go out the door.)

Melanie: Thanks, boys...

Bellboy#2: If there's anything else...

(Melanie giggles and closes the door.)

Bellboy#1: Idiot.

(Melanie hears this through the door and giggles)

The flirting bit with the bouncer is now mildly amusing.

You haven't done the groundwork and it shows.

There maybe potential but not in it's current format.

Let me know when you've got something fresh.

It rattles along but it does look much more like a drama or comdram than a sitcom to me, Todd. IOW there's plenty of conflict but not enough comedy for a sitcom. As a Skins type drama I think it has potential. Lots of energy in the writing, a good thing in my book. To take Sooty's cookery metaphors, it needs a whole jar of jokes/funny lines poured in to turn it into a tasty sitcom. From the very starter.

Also you're trying to make a veggie meal with a meat cookbook.

Sitcoms are like dramas subverted.

And now in script form it reminds me much more of Ladettes to Ladies than Ab Fab, a step in the right direction for identity purposes, but I'd put some Ab Fab like humour in quickly for vital sitcom purposes.

Or make it into a comdram in the vein of Fresh Meat, for females. IOW, if you keep naturally coming out with the same type of dialogue then you are naturally a drama or comdram writer, not a sitcom writer. But there's just as big a market for that. Personally I think most writers have a natural style which develops er, naturally as you go along, and you should just go with that, imo.

Share this page